Keep reading to find out how Ethereum Classic works, how it differs from Ethereum, and if it would be a good addition to your cryptocurrency portfolio. Ethereum Classic, like every cryptocurrency, may or may not be suitable for you. What Is Ethereum Classic? Ethereum Classic (ETC) is a cryptocurrency that launched in 2016 as a hard fork—a permanent split— from Ethereum (ETH). The Ethereum Classic blockchain, like the Ethereum network, is capable of supporting smart contracts and decentralized apps and maintains its own Ethereum Classic tokens....

Learn more about FCRA and how it impacts any background checks done by employers. Also, read below for general information about background checks and your rights as related to them. What Is the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)? The FCRA is federal legislation designed to promote fair, accurate, and private background checks and other consumer reports. FCRA oversees the collection and use of consumer credit information. What Is a Background Check?...

Examining the Fed’s changes to the fed funds rate provides insight into how the Fed has managed both inflation and recessions. Lowest Fed Funds Rate The all-time low for the federal funds rate is effectively zero. The Fed has twice lowered the rate to be 0.0% to 0.25%. The first time was during the financial crisis of 2008, and the Fed didn’t resume raising rates until December 2015. The second time was in March 2020, as a result of the global health crisis....

The unprecedented relief program, which pays up to 18 months of rent for households hobbled by the pandemic’s economic downturn, has gathered steam over the summer. In August the program provided households with $2.3 billion—out of a total program budget of $47 billion—compared to $1.7 billion the month before, the Treasury Department said Friday. The results mean more than $7 billion has been distributed so far. The assistance had gotten off to a slow start following its December launch, hampered by bureaucratic delays among the nearly 500 local programs administering the aid....

In addition to the Board, the Federal Reserve System has two other components. The 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks provide services to the nation’s commercial banking sector, whereas the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) conducts monetary policy. Its goal is to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate interest rates over time. All governors sit on the FOMC, along with four of the 12 regional bank presidents. The Fed is located at 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D....

Types of Financial Markets Most people think about the stock market when talking about financial markets. They don’t realize there are many kinds that accomplish different goals. Markets exchange a variety of products to help raise liquidity. Each market relies on each other to create confidence in investors. The interconnectedness of these markets means that when one suffers, other markets will react accordingly. The Stock Market This market is a series of exchanges where successful corporations go to raise large amounts of cash to expand....

Specifically, the CFPB said Thursday it would rescind a January 2020 policy statement that undermined its authority to protect consumers of financial products and services. The statement, made when the CFPB was run by an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said the agency would only challenge conduct as abusive “when the harm to consumers outweighs the benefit” and wouldn’t seek civil penalties unless there was a lack of a good-faith effort on the part of the provider to comply with the law....

After you have your business idea, you will need a business name, because everything else depends on your name. Then decide on a location - home, leased space, purchased building - and go on to the legal and financial tasks. ​Selecting a name, registering that name, and possibly trademarking the name mean that you have made a commitment to that name. Read this section before you select that business name....

Not only do you have to grab the client’s attention, pitch your skills, and prove that you’re the best person for the job, you also have to make sure that the breadth of your experience makes you look accomplished, not scattershot. Review these tips for writing resumes and cover letters that will help you get the gig. There are examples of both and templates you can download to get your own letter and resume started....

There are many reasons a business may become inactive. One very common reason is that the original owner sets up an LLC to sell products or services online, but after a year or so loses interest in the business due to a lack of sales. That owner may want to keep the business in the hopes of relaunching it but doesn’t want to put any time or expenses into it....

Facts Scientists have three ways to measure global warming. Since 1960, they’ve used satellites. For data since 1880, they also have reliable weather monitoring stations. For data going back a million years, they drill ice cores from glaciers. These cores reveal the amount of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes for each age. Scientists can calculate the average temperatures from those samples. Paleontologists can also roughly measure the earth’s temperature from fossil records....

Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs is jumping in on the consumer investing craze with the launch of its new Marcus Invest program. The program, launched Tuesday morning, offers automated investment and retirement accounts, with as little as $1,000 required to open an account. Aimed at expanding Goldman Sachs’s reach to the average consumer, it’s a far cry from its parent bank’s private wealth investment minimum of $10 million. But, unlike retail trading apps like Robinhood that allow users access to trade in individual stocks, Marcus Invest limits holdings to a small selection of curated stock and bond ETFs....

The stock market crash significantly reduced consumer spending and business investment. Consequently, U.S. GDP decreased dramatically in the first years of the Great Depression, dropping from $104.6 billion in 1929 to $57.2 billion in 1933. In comparison, GDP declined just 2% at the height of the Great Recession between 2008 and 2009. Unemployment Reached 25% The Great Depression affected all aspects of society. By its height in 1933, unemployment had risen from about 3% to nearly 25% of the nation’s workforce....

Start investing as soon as you can to take advantage of the power of compounding. The younger you are when you begin investing, the more time you have for your initial investments to grow and increase your personal wealth. There are investments you can make during each decade of your adult life to take advantage of the power of time. Saving for retirement—especially starting at an early age—is a good idea and almost always beneficial....

What’s the Difference Between Home Equity Loans and Personal Loans? While exact loan terms and requirements can vary from one lender to the next, here are some general differences between home equity loans and personal loans. Personal loans are usually unsecured. This means they don’t require collateral backing. Instead, your signature on the contract is enough to get approved and receive funding. Good credit may be necessary to qualify for a personal loan, especially one with a competitive rate....

By way of comparison, the median home price of $358,125 as of late October was 13% more than a year earlier, according to Redfin’s four-week moving average—and in May it was a record 24% higher. A 3% annual increase by the end of next year would also be less than half of what forecasters at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are predicting for 2022 (7.9% and 7% respectively....

Home sales fell 5.9% in October for the ninth month of declines, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. The decrease brought sales down to an annualized rate of 4.43 million, the worst since May 2020 and the lowest since 2011 if you don’t include the early months of the pandemic. The number of homes on the market fell too, reaching its lowest level since May. The continued slump came as no surprise, given that mortgage rates continued to surge last month, driving many would-be homebuyers from the market....

An Example As a simple example, let’s use an ETF that is made up of four equities. Each equity trades at $25, and the actual ETF trades at $100. The ETF tracks an index that consists of the same four equities, but two shares of each stock are in the index. Therefore the index is trading at $200. Everything is in balance and so far so good. If the underlying equities move up, so should the ETF and the index in direct correlation....

Generally expressed as a percentage amount and outlined in your policy documents, coinsurance allows you to share the cost of the insured service with the insurance company—your insurance company pays the portion of the cost of the service that is insured, and you pay the remainder. Coinsurance Percentage Breakdown Coinsurance amounts typically aren’t split evenly between you and your insurer. The insurance company generally bears a higher burden, paying the majority of the covered cost (the greater percentage) of a covered healthcare service....

An inability to repay a debt, however, is an indication of a larger problem for small business owners. Therefore, it is important to manage your business debt wisely, as commercial debt collection laws do not protect businesses in the same fashion as consumer debt laws protect everyday people. And if you do find yourself facing a debt collection agency, be proactive in reimbursing your creditors. “Often businesses come to me after a judgment has been entered and a creditor is knocking at the door,” said Nick Rosenberg, a partner with Boston/New York-based legal firm Gardner and Rosenberg, in a video interview with The Balance....